If you’ve seen all good English-speaking zombie movies, it’s time for Dead Snow! Fucking crazy Swedes! They’re not Swedish, they’re Norwegian! First time I saw Nazi zombies was in a British flick Outpost starring Ray Stevenson. Nazi exploitation movies also must mention here. Starting with Ilsa, She Wolf of the SS, which was released back in 1975 there have been a number of similarly themed movies. However, none of them featured zombies. Most of them were prison movies with a hefty dose of exploitation and graphic sexual content.
What’s beautiful about Dead Snow is the fact that you don’t have to know any of the actors or any of the crew, but you can be certain that this is going one hell of a professionally done movie. Everything was done by the book, starting with that mesmerizing cinematography. The contrasts between the whiteness of the surroundings and the redness of blood and gore were simply mesmerizing and almost artistic. Don’t know why, but I remembered Limbonic Art, a black metal band from Norway (A Venomous Kiss of Profane Grace still kicks ass). This is basically a horror-comedy that’s willing to go over the top in the best Peter Jackson tradition (BrainDead, Bad Taste).
Seven friends decide to spend their Easter vacation away from college and the noise of the city. They arrive at a small cabin located in the mountains, hoping for a memorable and relaxing weekend. They start drinking and soon they meet a mysterious hiker who warns them of the terrible history that this place has.
You can already notice that Dead Snow is not an original movie. It borrowed a lot of elements from the Evil Dead franchise. On the other hand, it has enough original ideas to remain in the realm of homage. For example, zombies here are not just your usual nazi zombies. They are actually a blend between nazi zombies and draugrs or draugs. If you played the video game Skyrim, you might have met them already. They are undead beings, usually found near graves protecting any valuable items of the deceased. These are those little details that make this movie such a fun ride.
I mean, Dead Snow is not Shaun of the Dead, but it’s still just so fucking entertaining. And funny. It’s also extremely refreshing to watch European filmmakers doing their thing. Especially when compared to a formulaic and ultimately stale Hollywood scene. Perfectly balanced and done with care and love, Dead Snow is a movie not just for zombie horror fans. It’s full of this youthful energy that makes it very fun to watch. Plus, it’s always nice to check out how other nations are spending their time. I guess fighting Nazi zombie armies…
Finally, you should know that there’s also a pretty good sequel to this movie titled Dead Snow 2: Red vs. Dead. Director Tommy Wirkola assures us that the final, third part is also in the works. It should feature a zombie Hitler and conclude our adventures with the Nazi zombie army.
Director: Tommy Wirkola
Writers: Tommy Wirkola, Stig Frode Henriksen
Cast: Charlotte Frogner, Ørjan Gamst, Stig Frode Henriksen, Vegar Hoel
Fun Facts: Budget for Dead Snow was just $2 million.
Rating:
IMDb Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1278340/
